It was a peculiar day and a peculiar night.

Spring just arrived. But it’s raining cats and dogs outside, although there are no signs of thunderclaps and lightning. The sound of rain fills the convenience store. Not many customers came in, too. Zelo, his part time worker for the nightshifts, also can't make it because he caught a fever. He wouldn’t want his only employee—and also only friend (aside from his best friend) to get sick, so he told him to stay at home until he is fine and not to worry because he would not take it out of his pay check. It wasn’t the boy’s fault he got sick, Kyungsoo thinks. To put it all short, it is a gloomy day.

But Kyungsoo has a small smile blooming on his face.

Because yesterday was a beautiful day. He might not have noticed the beautiful sunshine, or the melodious sounds of birds chirping, or the flowers blooming, but he witnessed something so much more so beautiful that even his breath got taken away. Kim Jongin. Ah, even thinking of his name makes Kyungsoo blush. Kyungsoo clears his throat and buries his face in his open palms as he leans on the counter, feeling embarrassed even of himself because he is acting like a love struck teenager like Luhan had said he is.

He met that person yesterday. Well, actually he sees that person every Sunday, but yesterday was different. Yesterday wasn’t just filled with his longing gazes towards the completely oblivious man that has been occupying his heart for years. Yesterday was a morning he wouldn’t ever imagine would actually ever happen. Kim Jongin thanked him and talked to him. And for the first time, Kyungsoo witnessed a smile gracing the man’s usually stoic face. How beautiful it was, Kyungsoo thought. He has never seen a smile as beautiful as his. It was genuine and it makes Kyungsoo’s heart palpitate in ways it shouldn’t, but this was Kim Jongin. And only Kim Jongin can make his heart do that.

They had a small talk, although it was mostly them staring at each other in the corner of their eyes, or them quickly looking away when the other caught the other looking. It can be considered as them being awkward. But that’s more than enough for Kyungsoo. He doesn’t understand why or how it happened like that. He remembers only being able to stare at the back of the man’s head, or stuttering while the man pays for his purchases.

Kyungsoo thinks a miracle happened because nothing like that ever happens to him. He folds his arms together on the counter table and buries his head, because he shouldn’t squeal even when he is alone because…well, it’s awkward hearing yourself squeal in the first place. A grown-up professional doctor shouldn’t squeal.

Maybe it was because he was too caught up with what was happening that he actually forgot to feel nervous that the man was finally talking to him. He was actually able to say coherent words without stuttering for the rest of their small talks. He was able to keep himself calm. Thinking of it now, he feels proud and accomplished. He knows he wouldn’t be able to stay that calm if he meets the man again on Sunday…after five more days.

He is too busy trying to collect his overwhelming emotions that he almost doesn’t hear the soft ‘ding’ sound that signals someone entered the convenience store.

Kyungsoo’s brows furrow as he looks up to the person that just entered.

“I’m sorry sir, but we are closed for the nigh—“

He is supposed to say that. But his voice gets caught up in his throat as his eyes widen.

Today is Monday. The man standing before him is supposed to come again on Sunday, which is five days from today. But the man is standing before him, eyes locked on him, wet hair clinging to his forehead, and coat dripping.

They stare at each other for a few heart-racing seconds before the man averts his gaze towards the right aisle, as he pockets his hands in his coat.

Kyungsoo, with his eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar, only keeps on staring. And he begins to question if he’s really seeing the man in front of him, or if he is imagining all these again.

But the man clears his throat and looks back to him. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen even more. The man is real.

Kim Jongin. It’s Kim Jongin.

Maybe he should have tried to calm his pounding heart first. Maybe he should have tried to form the words in his head first before saying it out loud. Maybe he should have used his head first before talking. Because the first sentence that comes out of him is the most inappropriate thing to say in such situations:

“Why are you here.”

It isn’t even in a questioning tone. And it’s not the most appropriate thing to ask. And it is too late before Kyungsoo realizes what he is saying. Kyungsoo mentally punches himself in the face for what he said.

“What?” the man asks after a short while, as if he didn’t quite hear what Kyungsoo said. It is as if the man is in a trance as well. And Kyungsoo hopes the man really didn’t hear what he said.

Kyungsoo rack’s his brain for what appropriate thing to say but fails.

“I-I mean. It’s just Monday and you come only on Sundays...” and Kyungsoo almost bangs his head on the counter, because he just indirectly told the man that he actually is very aware of the days he come to the store.

The man, as if only realizing it’s still just Monday, nods his head twice.

“Oh,” he couldn’t think of what right thing to say. He came uninvited, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know I shouldn’t come when it’s not Sunday. I should just leave—“

 “No!” Kyungsoo must have said that too fast and too loud for the man to look back at him in surprise, “I...I mean...It’s raining heavily outside and you’re wet...Y-you can stay here for a while and leave when the rain stops.”

+ + +

It’s raining?

Jongin looks back to the entrance and sees the heavy rain pouring outside; and as if the noise of the world finally reaches his ears, he looks back to Kyungsoo, then down to his clothes and Ah, he really is dripping.

He didn’t notice it. He absolutely didn’t notice the rain pouring heavily because he was so in a hurry to reach the place, and all that was registered in his head was to get to the convenience store fast and see the person in front of him, that everything else didn’t matter in that short span of time.

“Oh,” he mutters.

“D-did you want to buy something?” the familiar trembling voice is back again.

Kai’s brows knit together as he racks his brain for the right excuse to why he came to the place at ten in the evening.

“I—uh, wanted to buy Shin ramen and a cup of coffee.”

Of course that would be his only excuse. Because in the first place, that’s the reason why he had been coming to this store. But that was before. When he used to not look at the man behind the cashier’s face.

With his eyes still wide, Kyungsoo looks at the direction where the coffee maker and the water heater should be, and then looks back to the man in front of him.

“I… Because the store won’t be open for the night and I was already closing the store so I…turned off the machines for the coffee and hot water...”

Closing?

That is the only moment that Kai looks around and true enough, the store is already closed. He was just too preoccupied with the thought of seeing the man that he didn’t even notice the store already closed or the sign probably hung at the front door saying that the store is closed.

“I didn’t notice. I’m sorry I disturbed yo—“

The man is preparing to leave again and Kyungsoo inwardly panics. He is leaving again, and for some reason, Kyungsoo doesn’t want him to go. He wants him to stay. So he ends up saying something absolutely no one would say to a person who barely knows him.

“You can stay here. You can have a cup of coffee and we can have ramen.”

And he even said we. Kyungsoo inwardly groans. He is too obvious he wants Kai to stay.

And the seconds it takes for the man to answer doesn’t take long, but the wait has Kyungsoo’s heart pounding is his chest. He is ready for the man to reject his offer. He should be.

“Okay. Thank you.”

And that answer makes Kyungsoo look up. Their gazes meet and once again, Kyungsoo thinks his heart is going to explode soon.

Kai thinks the man’s eyes are beautiful.

+ + +

“I—I’m sorry that’s all I could offer you.”

Kyungsoo averts his eyes from staring at Kai, who’s standing by the restroom, wearing the white v-neck shirt and sweatpants that he offered him. The pants are obviously shorter for him and the shirt is clinging to his body, making visible the chiseled abs that Kyungsoo has been avoiding to look at—since he’s seen that before and the memory of it makes him blush profusely. It’s improper.

Kai may or may not be aware of the way the tip of his lips curves up as the warmth of the clothes owned by Kyungsoo reaches his body. The clothes are just what Kyungsoo, he thought, would be wearing. The cotton fibers of the shirt and pants and that smell.

Is this how Kyungsoo smells like? Kai doesn’t know. He’s never really been around to actually know how the man smells. But he does like that smell. He smells like babies and baby powders.

There is a pause. Kai’s brows scrunch up, as his lips form back to their original stoic form.

 Why is he even thinking about how Kyungsoo smells? That’s not normal, is it? Of course not. But instead of feeling annoyed or angry as what he would usually feel, Kai feels it’s not that bad. It’s not really that bad to get to know Kyungsoo more. He still doesn’t know why he would want to get to know him more. Even the thought that he would actually think about another being is something that is definitely not what Kai would be doing. But this is Kyungsoo, and unknowingly, the very thought about this specific man has tugged at one of Kai’s heart strings. And he thinks it’s not that bad. This feeling.

“It’s okay. Thank you,” Kai says as he follows Kyungsoo to the dining room where a bowl of ramen and cups of coffees are served.

“Please have a seat,” Kyungsoo softly says as he takes a seat on the other side of the table.

Kyungsoo doesn’t know if he should thank Luhan for changing his dining table into a much smaller one, or be angry at him because it’s even more difficult to hide his overwhelming feelings now that Kim Jongin is sitting in front of him. The table is only good for one person so their knees are touching, but he doesn’t know if he should move because he’s afraid it’ll be too obvious that he is noticing everything.

Kai on the other hand doesn’t want to move. The small touching of their knees is sending jolts of electricity all through his body and he doesn’t even question why he thinks it’s not so bad...that warmth he is feeling. Maybe he even likes it. Maybe.

Kyungsoo keeps his head low as he tries not to stare at the man in front of him. This sudden development has him confused and happy, but he will not think about that now. What’s more important is that he saw him again and he is right in front of him, sharing the same table, drinking coffee together—much better than him secretly staring at the back of the man drinking coffee and eating ramen.

Kai, on the other hand, openly watches as Kyungsoo wraps his slender fingers around his mug. He watches as he slumps his shoulders to take the heat from the coffee.

“S-so… Y-you don’t have work tonight?”

The silence is awkward and it’s killing Kyungsoo. He needs to say something. He looks up and their gazes meet. Kyungsoo tries to smile but it comes off awkwardly.

“Ah, yes. I don’t have work tonight.”

Kai lied. He does have work tonight. And his shift started three hours ago. But that company be damned, it can survive a night without him ing the place up. He spent too much time turning left to right on his bed and staring at the empty space trying to argue with himself about why he should or should not come to the Do Convenience Store—good thing he now knows what the convenience store is called. He doesn’t even know why; he doesn’t know why yesterday happened the way it did, he doesn’t know why he found himself smiling on his own after coming to his apartment yesterday, he doesn’t know why he would want to see Kyungsoo again. But he does. And the feeling is too strong and it’s eating him up. He isn’t going to avoid it anymore.

“Oh,” Kyungsoo racked his head for another thing to say. But he couldn’t think of any.

“I’m Kim Jongin.”

Kyungsoo looks up and his eyes widen as he sees the man offering for a handshake.

I know. I know you’re Kim Jongin. He would have said that.

“And you’re Do Kyungsoo, right?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen even more, his breath hitches, his heart pounds strongly against his chest.

He knows my name. He feels his face flush, and his palms begin sweat as feeling slowly comes back to his fingers.

“Ah...y-yes,” Kyungsoo reaches out his hand to shake hands with him. Maybe the thought that the man knows his name made him forget that he is actually going to shake hands with Kim Jongin. He forgot to worry about his slightly sweaty hand.

“It’s nice to finally get to introduce each other,” the man says as he gently shakes hands with him. Kai’s big hand is cold against Kyungsoo’s small, warm one. The oppositeness fits so perfectly together that neither of them want to let go at first. Kyungsoo isn’t sure if it’s because he feels oddly lightheaded that he is already imagining things, or if he really did feel Kai squeeze his hand a little.

A broad smile inches its way across Kai’s face and it looks so unbelievably beautiful to Kyungsoo that even he, who is feeling so utterly nervous, begins to smile broadly as well. Maybe it takes five seconds before they let go of each other’s hands, maybe it took even more than that. But they’re not really sure, and they don’t mind how long it takes because the occurrence of this moment is what’s important to them.

Kyungsoo silently wishes the heavy rain doesn’t go away.

And so does Kai.

And finally, their hearts flutter together in sync.

word count:   2.6 k

Time check. It's 5:54 AM and I'm sitting here on my bed like: YEAHHHHH I'M FINALLY DONE WITH ONE CHAPTER. <33

So yeah. I started this last weekend but I was only able to finish halfway and my mind completely out. I couldn't finish it so I wasn't able to update. I'm sorry everyone. ㅠㅠ School is completely draining my brain so now I'm experiencing a writer's block. /sobs/

Idk when I'll be able to update again but I'll try really hard and I hope you continue supporting this little story of mine. *3*

And sorry I couldn't  reply to all  of your  comments. You see, my laptop is so crappy and it takes so damn long for it to process commands so replying takes really long and I don't have that much time anymore to stay online..oTL

Oh and upvotes would be nice ahahaha. They're inspiring. o3o

and guyssss, SKYSBEAUTIFUL made a Video Trailer for this fanfic asdfghjkl I like it so much <3